Raising parents
by Tani Hunter
Summary: A story where in Inuyasha and the gang deal wth the hair-raising experiences of having children and the said offspring deal with the danges of who their parents are- even if some of them are unaware of the relationship. A new enemy appears, possibly more formidable than any before. Will the young step up to the plate as their parents did before them? T for language and other stuff.
1. Attempted escape

**A/N- I do not own anything in the Inuyasha universe. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I only own a few of my own characters. This story is in response to a question on fanpop... I was pondering the answer to it, and this story idea popped into my head. Enjoy!**

All was peaceful and quiet in Kaede's village. Not a soul was to be seen, or so it seemed. A figure darted out of a shaded doorway and crept towards the town gate, keeping to the shadows and blessing the fact that this was a moonless night, which meant that Inuyasha, the half Dog-demon who was the new leader of the village, would be in his human form until the sun rose and would thus be unable to sense her. The figure was just about to dart to another shadow when two small hands gripped her left hand, nearly giving her a heart attack, and a young voice spoke out of the shadows.

"Aunty Rin? Where are you going?"

"Hisashi!" Rin hissed, trying to calm her beating heart. "What are you doing here at this late hour?"

Of course, how could she have forgotten. Inuyasha was **not **the only half demon in the village. And if the boy had sensed her then that would mean... An oil lamp was turned on, temporarily blinding the would-be fugitive.

"We could be asking you the same question, Rin." a female voice answered.

Rin turned to the speaker.

"Kagome."

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, but this seemed a pretty good place to end the chapter. Don't know why, but ja, it just did... Sorry again! :P**


	2. Bittersweet farewell

**A/N: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters except my own OC's. These characters belong, and always will, to Rumiko Takahashi.**

Rin couldn't believe it. She had been so close, so very _close_, to getting out of the village and starting off on her own, only to be caught at the last minute and hauled into the Inu-Higurashi home. Had she been part dog demon herself, she would have growled out her fustration. She was currently seated at the table in the living area while Kagome busied herself making tea. She had sent her son back to bed, seeing no reason to wake his father. Kagome was currently in her own half Dog demon form. A form she had had ever since the night of the wedding when Inuyasha had marked her as his own. Like all half-demons, Kagome had times when she would have to be mortal. But unlike most hanyous, she could decide when, or even _if_, she wanted to become half demon. Having originally been human, that was the form Kagome prefered, as she lost her miko powers when in her hanyou form and so only took on the half dog-demon form when she had to or when the whim struck.

"So," Rin broke the silence. "Who was the one who sniffed me out first?"

She gave a half apologetic-half mocking smile as the other woman looked up at her.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. Especially when you're in your dog form."

Kagome chuckled and shook her head slightly as she brought over the cups of tea for herself and her 'guest'.

"Hisashi." Kagome answered with a smile, handing Rin her cup. "And I'm always in my half demon form when Inuyasha is out of commission."

"You make it sound like he'll be out for a week, not a day!" Rin remarked.

"My, aren't we the Ice Queen tonight?" Kagome remarked. "What's wrong Rin? You aren't usually so catty..."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not myself at the moment." Rin apologised. "I don't even know who I am anymore. That's why I was trying to leave."

"In the dead of night?" Kagome's eyes were wide with surprise.

"I thought that would be the best." Rin said. "I didn't want to worry anyone or be plagued by questions."

Rin held up her hand as Kagome opened her mouth to retaliate.

"Besides, I can't see Inuyasha letting me go quietly, can you?" Rin continued. "He wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I don't." replied a masculine voice as the two women at the table spun around to view the speaker.

Not too far away from the table stood a darkhaired man in a red haori with prayer beads around his neck. He was leaning against the wall, just in front of the doorway he had obviously just walked through, with his arms crossed over his chest. It seemed that Kagome was so deep into their discussion that she hadn't noticed her husband's approach. Either that, or she just wasn't inclined to ensure that Rin was aware.

"I don't understand why you'd want to leave when you are safer here." Inuyasha continued.

"This has nothing to _do_ with my safety." Rin argued, "And _everything _to do with the fact that I'm 23 years old and I've been stuck in this village since the age of eight! I need to get out in the world and see it for myself before I get too old!"

"You had the choice to leave this village and travel with my _brother _when you were 15 years of age." Inuyasha reminded her, slurring the word 'brother' as if it was a curse. "You chose to remain here, as I recall."

"The circumstances weren't the same as they are now!" Rin replied exasperatedly. "Besides, that was a time of illness and I was needed here, if you'd rcall."

"We had both Kaede and Kagome! You could've gone if you really wanted to!" Inuyasha yelled, his hold on his quick temper stating to slip.

"Inuyasha, calm down and be quiet." Kagome soothed. "You'll wake the kids."

Inuyasha huffed and plonked himself down by the doorway. Kagome turned to Rin, worry and something akin to suspicion clear in her eyes.

"Rin, is everything alright?" Kagome asked at last. "It's not like you to lose control like this."

"I'm sorry." Rin replied softly. "I just have to get out of here."

"You still haven't given me a good enough reason to let you go." Inuyasha huffed from his seat on the floor.

That was it. Rin had now had enough of this. It was bad enough that she had been caught when she could be half a day away by the time she was found out, but to sit there and listen to the hanyou talk as if he was her parent was way too much. Rin rose so quickly from her seat that the stool was knocked over with a loud clatter.

"Just who do you think you are?" Rin yelled the half demon.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome were surprised by Rin's reaction, as was evident by Kagome's utterly shocked expression, while Inuyasha looked taken aback.

"You don't own me, Inuyasha!" Rin contined to yell. "You are not the owner of me and you are _not_ my father! You have _no _right to tell me whether I can or cannot leave this accursed village!"

Silence reigned after this pronouncement. While Kagome looked shocked beyond words and more than a little hurt (which tore at Rin's heart), Inuyasha's shocked expression quickly turned to one of anger and something that looked like betrayal.

"Keh." Inuyasha grunted as he got up from the floor.

He stalked over to the young woman and glared at her. He couldn't believe that a mere pup had had the nerve to yell at him in his own home. After he had taken over looking after her from Sesshomru, if only to prevent the problems that would arise for the village if his half-brother were to realise something had befallen the girl. He didn't care for her in the least. She could go to hell if she wanted to, she'd already been there once, but she wasn't gonna drag him, his friends, family and village with her. At least, that's what he kept telling himself throughout this little blowout. However, he _was_ the village leader, the last one having died some years before and naming Inuyasha his successor, and he was _not_ about to let _anyone_ undermine his authority. Especially not a simple little _girl_!

"You wanna know who I am?" Inuyasha practically growled from behind clenched teeth. "I'm the one who convinced Sesshomaru to let you stay in the first place. _I'm _the one who has protected you since you were 8 and left in my care. _**I'm**_ the one who had to endure the endless nights of teenage angst and drama when you came wailing to Kagome and **_I'M THE ONE WHO IS THE LEADER OF THIS SO CALLED ACCURSED VILLAGE! A VILLAGE WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR HOME, NONTHELESS, FOR THE PAST 17__ YEARS!_**"

Inuyasha's voice had gradually grown louder in his anger as he spoke until he was yelling the last part at Rin. Kagome couldn't believe how childish Inuyasha still was, considering he had two children with a third on the way. Then again, Kagome could sort of understand his anger this time. But that didn't mean that she would condone it.

"Inuyasha." Kagome growled in warning.

Inuyasha ignored his wife.

"You can say what you want, Rin." Inuyasha told the young woman in a calmer tone of voice laced with warning and coated in anger. "But, no matter what you think, what I say goes in this village. And I say you will _not _leave!"

With that he turned around and walked away. Rin knew that she would regret saying what she was about to, even as the words formed on her tongue, but she was getting desperate.

"You honestly think you can stop me?" Rin hissed through clenched teeth. "You filthy half-breed!"

Kagome gasped in shock and Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks.

"What" he asked as he turned around to face Rn again. "did you just call me?"

Inuyasha's voice had been deathly quiet and his eyes blazed with anger. Rin knew the thin ice she was standing on was slowly cracking, but she couldn't turn back now. She had to finish what she started, well aware that even in his human form, the man before her could as easily snuff out her life as he did blow out a candle.

"You heard me." Rin said as scathingly as possible. "Or has your hearing failed you altogether?"

"RIN!" Kagome gasped as Inuyasha practically snarled and leapt at the young woman.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING A HALF-BREED? HUH?" Inuyasha yelled in her face. "**_NOTHING!_**"

"You're right! I don't know anything about _being _a half-breed." Rin told him calmly. "But you remember that my family was attacked by brigands? Well, the one who killed my parents and younger brother was a hanyou. And I have secretly hated all half-breeds since!"

Well, that story hadn't been a complete lie. Although she didn't hate half-breeds, her family _had _been killed by one.

"Oh, Rin." Kagome said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Keh." grunted Inuyasha. "Too bad he didn't finish you off too. Then we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"INUYASHA!"

"You talk big, but do you think you're strong enough to back it up?" Inuyasha again ignored his wife. "I'd love to see you try. You probaby would'nt last a day out there. And good riddance."

"**INUYASHA!**" Kagome yelled in a tone of voice that would normally make him cower slightly as it would mean a "Sit, boy!" was in the offing.

However, this time Inuyasha simply didn't care. The young woman in font of him had pushed him too far this time. Way,way, _way _too far, and she would now have to suffer the consequences.

"**No, **Kagome!" Inuyasha began. "This has gone far enough! I've had more than-"

"What's going on?" a sleepy voice broke into the conversation.

As one the three adults turned to the doorway. There stood Hisashi, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, while his younger sister stood behind him, staring wide-eyed at them. Unlike her 10 year old brother, who, with his silvery hair and small dog ears, was almost the splitting image of their father, seven year old Eiko had her mother's hair colour and looks. But, whereas Hisashi was a half-demon like their father, she was a full-fledged demon with three light blue angled lines on each cheek and a darker blue, thicker line running down the middle of her forehead to just above the bridge of her nose. Without a word, Kagome walked over to her two young children as Rin and Inuyasha watched. Kagome hugged both her children at once and Rin was taken back in time. She remembered being there when Hisashi was born. It had been several years after Kagome had returned and she and Inuyasha had been married. Rin had been thirteen at the time and had assissted Kaede and Sango in the birthing. Three years later, at only 16 years of age, Rin had had to step up as midwife all on her own as she and Kagome, who had insisted on continuing to work as a miko up until the very end of her pregnancy, had been alone in the furthest herb garden and there hadn't been time for Rin to go and get help. Not that she had been inclined to leave Kagome in that vulnerable state in the first place. As she had held the newborn girl in her arms, Rin could not help but wonder what kind of mother she hersef would make one day. Rin unconciously laid her hand on her stomach as she thought this.

"Mama, what's going on?" Hisashi asked again.

"Nothing, sweetheart, everything's fine." Kagome assured her son.

"Then why was daddy and aunty Rin shouting?"

"They were just having a discussion." Kagome said again.

"Uh-uh. They was shouting." Hisashi shook his head. "I heard 'em."

Kagome sighed exasperatedly. The boy was as stubborn as his father.

"I did too." Eiko added her two cents in her brother's defence.

Kagome sighed again as Inuyasha walked forward and picked his daughter up.

"It doesn't matter, it's over now." Inuyasha said in a tone that brokered no arguments.

Inuyasha turned to Rin.

"You want to leave, fine. Go ahead, I won't stop you." Inuyasha said coldly, surprising both Rin and Kagome not only with his tone of voice but his words too. "But you should know this. If you _do _leave- don't. bother. coming. back."

His eyes carried the same warning as he glared at Rin. Silence greeted this statement as everyone waited to see what Rin would do. Rin lowered her head in quiet acceptence of the village head's words. She picked up the fallen stool and placed it back at the table. She then took her leave of her friends.

"Rin." Kagome's quiet voice stopped her at the door. "Please. Wait."

"Goodbye, Kagome. Goodbye, kids." Rin said over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Inuyasha. And thank you. For everything."

"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed.

And with that Rin walked out of the Inu-Higurashi house as Kagome and the children called heir farewells, tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard Eiko starting to wail. She hated to do this. She hated having to throw all the good times she had had in this vilage away. But she also _needed_ to do this. Rin once again placed her hand on her stomach as the faces of the two men she loved- one mortal, one demon- flashed through her mind. Rin headed back to her hut. It was almost dawn. If she wanted to get out of here and have a decent head start then she would need more provisions. Because she knew one thing-once she left, she would never be welcomed back.

* * *

**A/N: **A few explainations of words/terms used:

**1)** Miko- priestess

**2) **Hanyou- half-demon [but then, I'm sure you were able to work that out for yourselves ;)]

**3)**Hisashi- This means 'long-lived'. A fitting name for someone with a certain amount of longevity.

**4) **Eiko- This means 'long-lived child' or 'splendid child', which suites her, since as a demon she will be exceptionally long-lived.

I know that this chapter is **considerably** longer than the first, but I wanted to get all the drama and the parting behind me so that we could get on with the story. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review!


	3. An unexpected ally

**A/N: Like always... I don't own anything but my own OC's! Words in _italics _are thoughts, unless otherwise implied.**

Kohaku held on tightly to Kirara as she dodged and swirled around the freezing cold winds of the mountains which served as a border between the Lands of the West, which belonged to Sesshomaru, his erstwhile liegelord, and the Lands of the South held by a mysterious demon known only as Akatora. The snows in these mountains was getting worse, and he had yet to find the accursed village in these mountains or see a sign of the quarry he was supposed to kill. After about another 15 minutes of aimlessly avoiding snowflakes, Kohaku called to his companion to turn around.

"Let's go, Kirara!" Kohaku yelled. "There's nothing here and we'll be in trouble if we remain out here much longer without adequet shelter."

The nekomata growled her agreement and was just about to turn around when something caght the demon cat's eye. She moved forward.

"Kirara?" Kohaku questioned. "What is it?"

Without giving him any sign of acknowledgement, Kirara continued on and soon a twinkling light came into view, so close that even Kohaku could see it.

"Well done girl, you found it!" Kohaku stroked the demon cat's neck.

Said demon cat simply smiled, purred and headed down towards the lights of the town. As they reached, Kohaku leapt off Kirara's back. immediately alert, every fibre in his body tingling. Every instinct he possessed was telling him to get back on the demon cat and get the hell out of there. Kohaku registered that Kirara shared his unease as his eyes danced around the village. It was eerily quiet.

_Too quiet. _Kohaku thought.

"Stay close, Kirara, and stay sharp." He warned his companion. "Something about this place seems wrong..."

"Well, your _right _about that!" a smug voice hissed out of the darkness and suddenly the area was alive with movement from beings that were undoubtedly demons.

_An ambush! And I walked right into it like a blind fool!_

Kohaku got into a fighting stance and readied his kusari-gama to attack as Krara hissed and crouched beside him, ready to pounce. The voice which had spoken hissed out a laugh.

"You slayers, always so sure of yourselves..." the voice hisses again. "You normally seek safety in numbers, yet here you are, just you and your pet cat alone in the wilderness surrounded by demons..."

"Damn you, you bastard!" Kohaku yelled. "Where are you? Stop hiding behind your minions like the coward you are and face me man-to-man!"

"But I'm _not _a man, little slayer." the voice hissed again. "And I'm afraid you're in the way. Time for you to die now, little insect."

With that the demons surrounding Kohaku an Kirara suddenly attacked, goaded on by a hidden signal. Kohaku and his demon cat companion sprang into action and attacked and defended, watching each other's backs. After about 50 minutes of fighting nonstop, Kohaku knew he was near his limits and the tide of demons seemed endless. No matter how many he and Kirara mowed down, it always seemed as if two took their fallen comrade's place. And the demons seemed to become more ferocious with each fellow demon who fell. Kohaku looked at his companion. The demon cat was backed into a corner, fending off any demon who approached her, holding her own against the merciless onslaught. But Kohaku could see that even _she _was losing steam against the never-ending stream that assailed her. Kohaku ducked and struck at another demon who tried to gut him with its claws. As he looked up, he saw Kirara completely swamped by demons. He started making his way towards her.

"Kirara!"

Demons moved to intercept him, but Kohaku fought tooth and nail to defend the cat who had become his most trusted companion.

"_Kirara!_"

Kohaku attacked demons left, right and centre- but more kept coming. Out of the corner of his eye, Kohaku saw one of the demons lift a spear and aim it at Kirara. He saw it leave the demon's hand, as if it were in slow motion, and saw it strike the demon cat in the left flank. Kirara let out a roar of pain and went down hard onto her chest.

"**Kirara!**" Kohaku yelled, suddenly finding his way somewhat less obstructed as the other demons had all paused to watch the brute who had thrown the spear finish Kirara off.

Said demon now approached the downed demon cat, a jaggered, crudely formed blade gleaming menacingly in the faint light of the village. Kirara hissed a warning at him as he approached her and Kohaku continued to fight his way towards them, praying he'd make it on time. Kohaku's eyes widened as he saw the demon grin evilly as it lifted the blade.

"_**Kirara!**_" he yelled as the blade was swung down. "**_KIRARAAAAAAAA!_**"

As the blade fell downward towards Kirara, Kohaku swung his kusari-gama, aiming it at the enormous demon's back. He heard a roar as the weapon made contact but didn't see what happened next as a nearby demon turned and punched the demon slayer into the side of a cliff next to the village, knocking the air out of him. As he fought to stay concious, Kohaku saw a multitude of demons descend on him and saw the injured Kirara fighting to try and protect him.

_So this is how it ends... _Kohaku thought as the first demon approached him menacingly.

Kohaku saw it raise its claws, fangs bared and swing its arm down towards him. He braced himself for what he knew would be the finishing blow... which never came. The demon fell before the blow could be struck and Kohaku saw a figure with long black hair tied into a pony tail land protectively in front of him. With his hazy vision, he saw the figure turn slightly towards him.

"It's alright now, kid." the figure said. "We wolves will take it from here."

_Wolves?_

Sure enough, Kohaku could make out a faint howling through the ringing in his ears. Kohaku turned to where he had last seen his friend and saw the demons who surrounded her start fighting whatever was attacking them, their previous target forgotten. As he stood, Kohaku's head started spinning and his already fuzzy vision started going dark.

_Ki...ki...ra...ra..._

And with that he collapsed to the ground as darkness claimed him.

* * *

**And that's that! Hope it was okay... I know it sounded a little pathetic with Kohaku shouting out Kirara's name all the time, but I wanted to give a sense of impending doom. Kohaku now has the same relationship with Kirara as Sango had before him, and Sango would most definitely be calling out Kirara's name as she tried to rescue her companion. Then again, Sango has Hiraikotsu, which is a big-ass boomerang which would cause a hell of a lot more collateral damage than Kohaku's kusari-gama... just saying. So yeah, that's why- his first concern was the two-tailed nekomata! And anyone wanna guess who the hero of the day is? *nudge nudge, wink, wink* Please don't forget to review!**


	4. Old friends, reunited

**A/N: You guys all know the drill- I do not, and never will, own anything of Inuyasha except my own OCs. Inuyasha is the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. And neither do I gain anything by this story except the pleasure of writing it. Now on with the show! _Italics_ indicate thoughts and/or flash backs unless otherwise implied!**

The first thing Kohaku was aware of was the fact that he was lying on a futon in somebody's house with a mountain of blankets piled on top of him. His next realisation was the fact that he wasn't dead. At least he didn't _think _he was dead. He could feel his heart pounding in his head. And those who were dead had no heartbeat. And the third thing he was aware of was the faint sound of voices that faded in and out over the ringing in his ears. Kohaku could make out snatches of conversation as he tried to regain the use of his hearing.

"... hard on yourself." the first voice said. "... could be dead. If you hadn't got there... what would've happened."

"... still got injured." a second replied."... might not've happened ... got there sooner."

Kohaku realised that the voices were female and male respectively and that he recognised them, though he wasn't sure how- and the pounding in his head wasn't making it any easier to remember. He decided thinking was starting to give him a headache and so he returned to the conversation between the man and woman that he was listening in on.

"...not your fault! ... cannot blame yourself... demons did!"

Kohaku heard what sounded like a chair being pushed back. Obviously someone had just stood up.

"... not my fault! ... almost died! Inuyasha... demon slayer woman... my head!" the male voice was almost shouting now.

"... calm down. ...all work out, you'll see." the female voice soothed. "... Kohaku's alive. ... attacked him are dead... you're unharmed... all that matters."

There was the sound of soft footfalls and the sound of a door opening and closing.

"... alright?" a second female voice asked.

This voice also sounded vaguely familiar and Kohaku got the feeling that it belonged to someone not altogether... human.

"... just trying to get him to see... situation... not his fault." the first female voice informed the second.

"Of course... not your fault! ... expect? ... everything you could!" the second admonished in a gentle tone.

"...still got hurt, so... not enough." the male voice sighed. "What... here anyway? ... with the pups?"

"... pups... asleep." the second female voice said. "Besides... mate. ... wolves... didn't stick together?"

"...change the fact we should've been there sooner." the male voice growled. "... dead... in time to save him... not to mention the demon cat!"

_Mate?_ _Wolves?_

Suddenly a memory of a dark haired man apoeared in Kohaku's mind.

***Flash back***

_"It's alright now, kid." the figure turned towards him. "We wolves will take it from here."_

***End of flash back***

Kohaku realised that the male voice speaking belonged to the same wolf demon who had saved his life. Suddenly the realisation of the last thing the wolf had said sank in.

_Kirara! No! No, it can't be!  
_  
Kohaku's eyes snapped open and the surge of adrenaline from that thought thrust him into a sitting position. He immediately regretted sitting up so quickly, because not only was his head pounding and spinning (making his vision blurry and making him feel like he was going to pass out again) but there were several places on his body which erupted in searing pain, causing him to grunt in pain. His grunt of pain aterted the three beings to his being concious and they hurried into the room.

"Kohaku! You shouldn't be up!" A young woman with black hair exclaimed, dropping to the floor next to him. "You could've reopened your wounds."

"I'm fine." he gritted out between clenched teeth. "Where am I? What happened? And who are _you_?"

"You don't know who we are?" the guy seemed surprised. "You must've hit your head pretty damn hard..."

"Now's not the time, Kouga!" the black haired woman snapped at the man. "You two stay here with him, I'm going to go get someting to clear his head. Make sure he doesn't _move_."

_Kouga?_

For some reason the name seemed familiar to Kohaku, but he just couldn't place it and his muddled mind and bleary vision weren't helping matters. Kohaku blinked as he tried to rectify his vision while staring at the man called 'Kouga'. The man chuckled.

"Something botherin' ya, kid?"

"You seem familiar to me, I was just trying to figure it out, is all." Kohaku mumbled, dropping his head into his hands. "And I'm 29 years old, I hardly think I qualify as a 'kid' anymore."

The other man laughed.

"To a wolf demon of almost 300 years, a human man of 29 is no more than a pup! Just a boy!" he retorted.

Kohaku turned to glare at Kouga, well as much as he could with his pounding head, but he must've failed tragically because the wolf demon just laughed some more.

"Kouga! Stop torturing the poor boy!" the second woman said.

This caused Kouga to all but roar with laughter. As Kohaku turned his glare on her, he noticed that she had red hair. This served as another trigger to his muddled memory. He _knew _he knew her. Her name was on the tip of his tongue, but it eluded him.

"You're as bad as I am, Ayame!" Kouga told his mate through his laughter.

Ayame seemed to realise her _faux pas _and hurried to correct it.

"Ah, I mean, young man, of course!"

"Oh, save it." Kohaku muttered as Kouga sniggerd just as the black haired woman returned holding something in her hand.

"Did I miss something?" she asked as she took a seat next to Kohaku. "What was all the noise about?"

"Nothing, nothing." Kouga was quick to reassure her, still chortling. "Just joking around, is all.

"At _my _expense." Kohaku mumbled under his breath, shooting another glare in Kouga's general direction.

"Well, keep it down! You'll wake the kids!"

The black haired woman just shook her head.

"Sometimes I wonder who the 'kids' are around here." she said.

"Hey!" Kouga objected as Kohaku smirked and Ayame giggled.

With another shake of her head, the black haired woman turned to Kohaku. She handed him the vial.

"Kohaku, I want you to drain that all in one go." she told him.

Kohaku glanced suspiciously at the mug thrust into his hand.

"What is this?" he asked cautiously.

"A herbal remedy that will clear your head and help yoour wounds to heal faster."

As Kohaku continued to stare suspiciously at the vial in his hand, Kouga grunted.

"Kid, do you honestly think I would go through all that trouble to save you, only to stand here while you're given poison?" he demanded. "Just drink the damn herbs!"

Kohaku nodded slowly. What Kouga said made sense, even to his muddled mind. He brought the mug to his lips, tipped his head back slightly and poured the liquid into the back of his mouth. The minute the mug's contents made contact with his tastebuds, however, he wished it hadn't. It burned slightly and tasted so awful, Kohaku could not come up with anything to compare it to. It was, quite simply the most horridly putridly tasting stuff he had ever had the misfortune to taste, and he had consumed some revolting stuff in his time. As he put the mug down, Kohaku started retching, trying to dispell the foul tasting liquid from his mouth. He suddenly found a clawed hand clamped tightly over his mouth, preventing him from spitting the liquid up.

"Oh no you don't." Kouga's voice sounded in his ear. "Drink up like a good boy!"

"Kouga!" Ayame scolded him. "Stop taunting him!"

"Please, Kohaku." the dark haired woman pleaded, sounding close to tears. "Please, just swallow it."

_Like I have any alternative._

Having no other choice, Kohaku forced the foul liquid down his throat, then collapsed back onto his pillows, heaving and panting slightly with his eyes shut. Kouga released his mouth and stood up.

"Well, that was enough excitement for one day." he said. "As fun as this was, Ayame and I should go. The rest of the pack will be wondering where we are."

"What about the children?" Ayame's voice asked. "They're fast asleep by now."

"Ayame, why don't you leave them here for tonight?" the black haired woman asked. "They'll be safe enough here, and that way you won't have to worry about waking them."

"Good idea." Ayame said. "See you tomorrow then, Kuroya."

The one named Kuroya stood up.

"I'll be back in a few moments, Kohaku." she told him.

With that, the three of them left, closing the sliding door behind them. After about twenty minutes, Kohaku found that the pounding in his head had subsided to a slight thud, while the ringing in his ears was now a gentle hum. Kohaku heard the door slight open and the gentle sound of footfalls approaching him.

"I just came to see if you needed anything." the woman called Kuroya said.

Kohaku opened his eyes and was surprised when everything came into focus with startling clarity. He struggled to sit up.

"Here, let me help you."

"Thank you."

Gentle hands helped him up and Kohaku looked up into the face of Kuroya. She looked very familiar to him but his mind still refused to help him by telling him _how _he knew her. While he was pondering this, something Kouga had said while Kohaku had still been slightly out of it returned to him and Kohaku's eyes widened before he turned look up at her.

"Kirara! Where is she?" he asked frantically. "She's not... she's not..."

He couldn't even bring himself to say it. Kuroya gently, but firmly, placed her hands on his shooulders to prevent him from getting up and hurting himself futher.

"Shoosh." She comforted him. "You don't have to worry about a thing! Kirara's not dead."

"She's not?"

"No, she's not." Kuroya said. "Although it was a close call. She's resting in the room with Ayame and Kouga's pups."

"Whew, that's a relief!" Kohaku relaxed. "Thank you. For looking after the two of us."

"You're very welcome." Kuroya said with a smile. "It's the least I could do for an old friend."

As she smiled at him, something in Kohaku's brain clicked into place and his mind ran wild with memories of a small black haired girl dressed in a checkered kimono with a smal pony in her hair, riding on a two-headed dragon and annoying an imp while following a dog demon with silver hair. His eyes widened slightly. He now knew who this mysterious woman, Kuroya, was and was surprised at himself for not realising it sooner. Kuroya turned to him.

"Well, it's late, and if there's nothing else I can get you, then I'll bid you goodnight." she said cheerfully.

"No, there's nothing." he assured her. "You've been more than gracious already, thank you. Again."

"You can thank me by making a full recovery." Kuroya joked. "Goodnight, Kohaku."

"Goodnight." Kohaku paused, watching her intently as the woman moved to the door. "Rin."

Kuroya froze at the doorway then turned to Kohaku, a look of shock on her face. Then she smiled at him, evidently pleased that he had realised who she was.

"So, you've finally remembered me." she smiled. "I was starting to worry. You obviously hit your head harder than we thought."

**Sorry if Kohaku and the others seem a little OOC and if the chapter is a little confusing (especial during the conversation with omitted words) but I wanted the reader to see it from Kohaku's point of view, which is garbled and confused due to the fatigue of battling all those demons, the shock and loss at the thought of having lost Kirara and the added confusion of the head trama when Kohaku was thrown into the cliff face. Any thoughts, questions, concerns, suggestions? I'd love t hear them all! Please review!**


	5. The ball starts rolling

**AN: As always, I don't own Inuyasha, except a few OC's! A great big shout out to Inuyasharocks01862 who has reviewed and expressed such an interest in my story! You rock (no pun intended!)! Now on with the story! _Italics _indicate thoughts unless otherwise specified/intended.**

Kohaku awoke suddenly, very early in the morning, judging by the pale light streaming in through a window in his 'room'. The good news was he was feeling a lot better than he had been the previous night. The bad news was waking up to the current rukus that was going on in the house where he was currently recuperating. He could hear three voices belonging to young children yelling over the wailing of a baby who was screaming at the top of its lungs.

"Quiet, baby, please be quiet!" what sounded like the eldest of the children pleaded in a desperate voice.

"You're holding her wrong!" yelled another voice, a boy's this time ,the first having been a girl's voice.

"And what makes you such an expert?" the first voice hissed back at him.

"Hey, don't yell at big brother like that!" a third voice, belonging to a boy younger than the first yelled.

"Shut up, twerp!" the first voice yelled at him above the increased yelling of the baby.

"You guys should stop yelling, you're scaring the baby." A fourth voice, a girl's, said.

"I know, I know!" the first voice said again.

"Maybe she's hungry?" the second girl suggested.

"But what do we feed a baby?" the first boy asked in a slightly panicked tone.

"Milk?" the second girl suggested.

"Good idea!" the second boy said sarcastically. "Or it would be, if we _had _any!"

"That isn't helping, Fuu!" the elder boy said.

"Oh, why did this have to happen while Ri..., I mean Kuroya was away?" the first voice sounded on he verge of tears.

"Nothing we can do about that now." the elder boy said. "We just better shut the brat up before she wakes the human!"

"Too late." Kohaku called out.

Silence greeted his pronouncement, or rather, as silent it could be with a baby still screeching from hunger pains.

"Shit." swore the elder boy.

"Hayate! Don't cuss in front of the pups!"

"Never mind that, what are we gonna _do_?" the second girl asked, scared.

"Yeah." the second boy, the one named Fuu, agreed. "We're gonna be in such deep shit it'll take foever to dig ourselves out!"

"Fuu!"

"Sorry, sis."

"You see what you've done?" the eldest was obviously rounding on the eldest of her brothers, the one she had called Hayate.

"What'd that have to do with me?" he asked defensively.

"You're the _only _one who curses in front of him!"

"No I'm not, many of the older males do that too, don't they, twerp?"

"It's true, sis."

"That's not the point..."

"Guys, we're getting off track." the second girl interupted. "What are we gonna do?"

The four children were once again quiet as they thought of a way out of their current situation, the baby still screaming.

_That child is going to burst its lungs if they allow her to continue screaming like that..._

"Come here, all of you." Kohaku called. "And bring the baby with you."

"Wha... what should we do now, big sister?" the second girl asked, suddenly sounding scared.

"We're going to have to do as the slayer says." the eldest girl said in a defeated tone.

"You can't be serious...?" Hayate said in a tone of disbelief.

"You got a better idea?" his sister challanged him.

Silence.

"I thought so."

With that the sliding door opened and revealled four young children and the baby. The four children slipped in.

"Bring her here." Kohaku commanded.

Looking as it were against her better judgement, the eldest girl complied, handing him the still screaming baby. Kohaku took the child, taking note of the fact that the blanket had been pulled up over her head so hat the top of her head and her forehead were hidden from view. Kohaku took the child and gently started rocking her back and forth. He started rubbing a finger across the baby's face, gradually quieting the child.

"There, there. Now _that's _better." Kohaku cooed at the baby. "So, what's your name then?"

There was skilence for a while before the eldest of the four (stunned) children answered him.

"Yu-Yuki." She stammered. "Her name is Yuki.

Kohaku looked up at her with an amused expression before returning his gaze to the baby in his arms.

"While it's a pleasure to meet you... 'Yuki'" Kohaku began, speaking to the baby in his arms, who gurgled in reply. "I was actually addressing _you_."

**I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense, the original chapter was much longer, but I decided to cut it shorter there so that I didn't end up with a 3000 word essay for a chapter! Hopefully things will clear up in the next chapter!**

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	6. A shocking revelation

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry if this story is a little confusing at the moment but ch 4 and this chapter were once one really long chapter, so I've had to break them up into to smaller chapters and it's become a little confusing- and in all honesty, it made MUCH more sense in my head... Hopefully this chapter or the next one will clear up any more confusing details... A great big SHOUT OUT to Inuyasharocks01862 for all the encouragement and enthusiasm! **

**I just want to say that I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I profiting from this fanfic!**

Kohaku returned his gaze to the eldest 'child' in the room, smirking slightly. Even though she didn't have his hair, there could be no mistaking who's daughter this girl was. As Kohaku looked at her, a female Kouga looked back. Except for her hair. It was red. Ayame's hair. She looked to be in her late teens, but Kohaku knew that looks could be decieving with _youkai_. She could be younger, or she could be far older (**1**)(however unlikely that seemed).

"A-Akane." She answered.

"And how old are you, Akane?"

"Seventeen."

Kohaku looked to the next oldest, a boy who looked remarkably like Ayame, but with Kouga's eyes.

_And his pesonality, apparently__._ Kohaku thought as the boy glared at him.

Seeing where he was looking, Akane hurried on with the introductions.

"That's Hayate, and although he _tries_ to be intimidating, his growlling is _far _worse than his actual bite." Akane explained. "He's fourteen."

She turned to the youngest of the children. She pointed at the younger boy who looked a lot like Kouga, except he had his mother's green eyes and a reddish, light brown hair colour (which seemed to come from the combination of the hair colour of his parents). The girl sitting next to him had red hair too, although hers was a lighter strawberry blond, giving her a softer look.

"That's Fuu. And the girl sitting next to him is Hana." Akane continued. "They're both seven."

Akane turned back to the human slayer in front of her.

"And the one you're holding is Yuki. Our baby sister."

Kohaku looked at the child in his arms, his brow furrowing slightly at the little hand which gripped his finger.

"No."

"Excuse me?" Akane asked, while Hayate tensed slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"No, this child may be many things, but she is _not _you sister."

Kohaku met the eyes of the four youngsters in front of him. The two youngest seemed to be shocked. Hayate looked pissed beyond belief and Akane looked strangely panicked.

"What d'ya _mean _she's not our sister?" Hayate hissed angrily at the man, his hands closed into tight fists.

Kohaku looked at the youth calmly.

"I mean what I say."

"Perhaps you should explain." said a soft voice, Hana's.

"Very well." Kohaku agreed. "Akane is the oldest, therefore she looks like your father, Kouga, even though she has you're mother's hair colour. Hayate may have you're father's hair colour and personality, but he looks alot like your mother, Ayame."

The young teenage wolf demon growled and sputtered at this but Kohaku simply smiled and turned to the remaining youngsters- the twins.

"As for you two- you are twins, but Fuu was born first, am I correct?"

"Ho...how did you know that?" Fuu asked, amazed as Hana simply nodded.

Kohaku smiled.

"Dispite you're hair colour, Fuu, you look alot like your father. And the same goes for you, Hana. You're almost Ayame's splitting image, except for your hair colour and a few slight changes to your face."

"That's all fine and good and well, pointing out things we already know." Hayate interjected rudely. "But I _still _don't see what this has to do with Yuki not being our sister!"

"Don't you?" Kohaku said softly. "Then perhaps _this _will clear things up."

And with that, Kohaku pulled down the blanket covering the baby's head, to reveal silvery hair- and two very small canine-like ears on her head. The ears... of a _hanyou_. She had a small leather band around her head, not unlike the one Kouga wore, but hers was thicker and covered most of her forehead.

The four youngsters gasped as Kohaku revealled the baby for what she truely was. Kohaku turned to the four gaping 'pups' in front of him.

"The fact that this child is a _hanyou_ in itself tells me that she is not your sister." He began. "I happen to know that Wolf Demon's are fiercely loyal to their mates, perhaps more so than any other, even Dog demons. As such, there is no _way_ that either of your parents would _willingly _have a pup with anyone who is not their mate."

Kohaku took a moment to study the children's faces. Hayate's face was one of skeptical disbelief while the twins just looked completely dumb-founded. Akane sat with a small, knowing smile on her face as she listened to the slayer detail why the baby in his arms did not belong to her family.

_Seems we were caught out. Sorry, Rin... Seems we were not smart enough... No. This human simply outsmarted us._

"Of course, you could've had a situation where Ayame was forced by a human..." Kohku shook his head. "But this is unlikely."

"Oh, and why is that?"

Everyone turned to Akane, but she kept her eyes on Kohaku, waiting for his reply, a smile still playing on her lips.

"Wha...what are you saying, big siser?" Hana asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense." Fuu agreed.

"All I am saying is that Mother could've been caught by a human male who forced himself upon her, resulting in young Yuki there. Then her being a _hanyou _would make sense."

"I agree." Kohaku said with a sly smiile. "_If _that happened to be the case. However, I'd say that that was highly unlikely..."

"Yeah, Akane! Mother is more than a match of a simple _human_! Even if it _is _a male!" Hayate growled, clenching his fists again and turning his anger on his sister. "Besides, Father would never let that happen!"

"It's still a distinct possibility!" Akane ground out between gritted teeth, clenching her own fists and staring daggers at her younger brother.

It seemed that she was trying to give the youth a warning, but he was either actively ignoring it, or was completely oblivious as he glared right back at his sister. Kohaku was amused at how Akane was trying to remedy the situation in anyway she could, while Hayate was only making the situation worse for her. Before the siblings could come to blows, Kohaku spoke again.

"You are both correct."

The two wolf pups looked at the slayer, clearly confused. Their younger siblings did the same.

"While you are correct in your assesment, Akane, I am going to have to agree with your brother."

The said young wolf looked smug, while his older sister glared at him.

"Your mother is not so weak that she would allow something like this to happen." Kohaku's eyes settled on a point just above Akane's head for a moment before returning to the youngsters before him. "Besides, I know your father well enough to know that Hayate is correct- Kouga would never allow such a thing. He would be by your mother's side the instant he felt something wrong. And the would-be perpertrater would never know what hit him."

He looked down at the baby in his arms once more.

"Which brings me to my final point. Although, not by much, this child reminds me of someone I knew as a child and have seen on and off over the years." Kohaku lifted his head again and looked at the point above Akane's head. "My friend Rin. Or, as you have been calling her, Kuroya."

The four wolf pups in the room all turned to the point Kohaku was looking at to see the said woman standing in the doorway, looking down at them. Rin stared at her childhood friend and protector. Then she smiled sadly and shook her head slightly.

"I should've known..."

"I'm so sorry, Rin. I tried!" Akane cried. "But Gina was hungry and crying and the Slayer heard us! I really tried to keep the truth from him!"

"Gina?" Kohaku asked. "I thought you said her name was Yuki...?"

"Her name _is _Yuki." Hayate said, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious, while the others turned to look at Kohaku.

"But it is also Gina." Fuu continued.

"You could say that Gina is her real name." Hana added.

Kohaku closed his eyes for a moment, his injured head developing a headache as his brain put the mismatched pieces of the puzzle together.

"So what you're saying is..." Kohaku began, frowning slightly as he looked back at the five beings in front of him. "that Yuki is to Gina... as Kuroya is to Rin?"

"Exactly." Rin smiled.

Kohaku looked back at the strangely quiet Gina in his arms. She had been screaming bloody murder while Akane held her, but had settled down the minute Kohaku took her from the young wolf demon. Kohaku knew that he had a strangely calming influence on children, he could always calm Sango and Miroku's children whenever they were upset during one of his rare visits, but he had the feeling that this was different. He motioned to Fuu, who was closest to him, to come closer and then held out the sleeping baby to him. The minute the young wolf demon came closer, the baby _hanyou _in Kohaku's arms started fretting. And when Fuu went to take her from him, she started screaming all over again. Kohaku quickly started comforting her while Fuu shifted and returned to his seat. Kohaku noticed that the others had been watching him.

"She does the same when Ayame or any other wolf demon touches her." Rin said.

_But why would she care if another wolf demon touches her, if she is part wolf demon? _Kohaku thought as he looked down at the young _hanyou_ in his arms. _It's almost as if she finds them to be a threat..._

Kohaku's eyes widened as he came to this realisation. While it was not unusual for_ hanyou _to be wary of_ youkai _it was strange that the child was reacting so strongly at such a young age. Whoever her father was, he had to be a powerful _youkai _indeed for his young to have such well developed reactions.

_Or hanyou. _Kohaku reminded himself, as a human and a _hanyou _could still have _hanyou _offspring.

Just at this moment, Gina opened her eyes and looked at Kohaku. Her eyes were a dark, golden brown colour- the colour of amber, the precious mineral Kohaku was named for. As she looked at him, the baby gurgled happily and suddenly Kohaku knew who the baby reminded him of. An image of another silver-haired _hanyou _with the same canine-like ears, in a red haori flashed through his mind.

_No! No, it can't be...  
_  
But there could be no mistaking it. The child looked alot like him. Kohaku raised his head to look at Rin, who was avoiding his gaze. He stared at her until she looked him in the eyes. Seeing that he had put two and two together, she nodded.

**Duh da duh! _Finally_ finished! Sorry it took so long... Now, it will be interesting to see if anyone was able to get my (very subtle) hint about Gina's parentage... I know this chapter seems confusing and nonsensical, but it is important! This _was_ all one long chapter that I decided to divide into two so that the full story could come out in as little confusion as next chapter may have a time skip, in fact I should probably say that it is highly probable...**

**A/N:**** (1) I decided (for the sake of my story) that I'd have _hanyou _and _youka__i _children age the same speed as a human child, to a point, and then have the affects of their longevity come into effect. I know it doesn't really make sense, but humor me...**

**Notes of the children's names: Akane- means 'brilliant red', due to her hair colour.**

**Hayate- means 'swift'**

**Fuu- means 'wind' **

**Hana- means 'flower'. Her hair is also 'red' like her mother's, except she is more of a strawberry blond. She reminded her parents of the blossoms of the Sakura (Japanese cherry) tree, thus her name.**

**Yuki- means 'snow' (in reference to her silvery/snow white hair)  
****  
Gina- means 'silvery' (with regard to her hair colour in her _hanyou_ form.)**

******More notes: _hanyou_- half-demon  
_youkai_- demon**

******Read and review please!**


End file.
